Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 405: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the steps she is taking to protect the pig industry here in view of the high feeding costs and the fact that they have to compete with cheap genetically modified imported products; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25156/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware that the price of feed materials worldwide has increased significantly in the last 12 months and that this is putting serious pressure on pig producers. The EU Council of Agriculture Ministers has, in response to the pressures on the international cereal and feed markets, agreed to suspend the obligation to set 10% of arable land aside. This will ensure that more arable land is available for cereal cultivation in 2008.

All of the nutritional diets for pigs and poultry is derived from compound feeds. A significant element of these diets is soya meal which comes from authorised GM crops grown mainly in South America and which are subjected to the stringent assessment process required by EU legislation.

My Department is engaged in a wide range of activities that are vital to the development of the pig industry. These include national animal health programmes, monitoring of food safety compliance at production premises, the certification of meat for the various markets and improving access to new markets.

Pigmeat features prominently in Bord Bia's programme of promotion on home and export market. I have asked the Bord to intensify its autumn pork and bacon promotion campaign in order to ensure that the market remains firm over the coming months. I am also working with the Minister for Health and Children towards the introduction of legislation to provide better information to consumers on the origin of pigmeat. Considerable Bord Bia resources are also devoted to the pigmeat quality assurance scheme. Additional funding is being made available for this.

The Farm Waste Management scheme was extended to the pig sector and I brought in a programme of financial assistance for the transition to welfare-friendly sow housing.

Another issue facing pig producers is how to deal with pig slurry in a manner that complies with environment protection legislation. The Intensive Livestock Working Group which I established is currently examining the possible options for the sector in this regard.

I have asked the European Commission to introduce export refunds and aids to private storage (APS) for pigmeat. I am pleased that an APS scheme was introduced last week. I, along with Ministers from some other Member States, further pressed the Commission for additional support in the form of export refunds at the Agriculture Council in Luxembourg this week.